The Ties that Bind Us
by ElleHarper47
Summary: Klaus Mikaelson's life hangs in the balance as the dark magic of the Hollow consumes him. Alternate ending to The Originals series finale.
1. Beginning of the End

**Many thanks to my amazing friend and beta, Principles of Magic. She's also a fantastic writer and you should check her out too, if you haven't already.**

* * *

Caroline Forbes, headmistress of the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted, stood in her office, arms crossed, staring out into the night, her heart aching with sadness.

Klaus Mikaelson was dead.

Years ago, the man drove her insane; terrifying her and wreaking havoc in Mystic Falls; murdering for his own gain or simply out of spite. And all the while, being utterly charming and fascinated by her.

He had once promised to be her last love, however long it took. If she lived a thousand years, Caroline knew in her heart no man would ever utter such an epic declaration to her again.

Two weeks ago, their orbits had crossed paths once again, and whatever feelings Caroline had for Klaus and thought long buried came crashing over her once again with the force of a tsunami.

She wasn't in love with him. Not then and not now. She may have had feelings, strong feelings for him, but her feelings were based on the type of man she knew he could become, if only he would let himself. The type of man she saw glimpses of when he smiled bashfully towards her or teased her. When he showed mercy towards her friends simply because she had asked. She had always hoped he would someday become the man he had proven to her today that he was. A good man, a good father, a - good friend.

Tears rolled down her face. Long ago she had made peace with the fact that she would likely outlive all of her loved ones. She never once expected that she would also outlive Klaus.

Unmercilessly, the truth hit Caroline now: she had always intended to hold him to the promise he made her on her graduation night. Not today or tomorrow or even a decade from now. Maybe in a couple of more centuries. But one day, after she had followed her own path; when she could be sure they were both ready for the commitment that would follow. She had always held onto his promise as a talisman of sorts - the promise of a future.

Inwardly scoffing towards her own arrogance, she wrapped her arms tighter around herself. She should have known better. Fate always had a way of making a mockery of whatever plans she had.

A magical pregnancy.

Married and widowed on the same day.

And now this.

As she gazed into the night, the full moon hung low in the sky over the school, casting shadows over the immaculate grounds.

She was proud of the school and everything it had become. At first, it had been a way to honor Stefan's memory; a way to protect the girls. The hard work and long nights invested in the early days had paid off: the school's reputation was stellar. The best - and most notorious - families sent their "gifted" children to the Salvatore School. And while the tuition fees from those families kept the lights on, it also allowed the school to accept children and teens from less exclusive backgrounds. Tuition operated on a sliding scale, so that even those of modest means could send their children here, and those who couldn't afford the fees were given scholarships.

The school had grown into something she had only imagined in her wildest dreams; not only shaping and molding young minds, but teaching them that inclusivity among the species was the only way to survive peacefully with one another. Caroline had seen firsthand the destruction caused by the divide between the witches, wolves, and vampires. She hoped that by teaching them together, that destructiveness could be avoided for future generations.

Caroline glanced at the framed photo on her desk, a family picture taken on Virginia Beach with Lizzie and Josie between Alaric and herself, and smiled faintly. She couldn't have done any of this without him. Thrown together by the strangest of circumstances, they had become friends, co-parents, and business partners, each bringing their own unique set of skills to the equation.

Taking a deep breath, she scanned the grounds of the school, looking for any sign of Alaric and the girls returning.

The moon had waned an hour ago and the last of the students who were cursed to turn into werewolves on the full moon were returned to their beds. They went through this ritual every month. On the night of the full moon, the school entered into a lockdown, with every student and staff member accounted for. Alaric and Matt, the Sheriff of Mystic Falls, escorted a handful of students - and a couple of faculty members - to the old Lockwood cellars, which had been refurbished to Caroline's instruction. There, they were placed into individual cells to turn, safe from harm to themselves and to others.

The school's policy was that no wolf could roam free on the grounds, but that policy had been broken tonight. Hope Mikaelson had triggered her curse and while she would be able to control whether or not to turn in the future, tonight was a rite of passage.

When Hope's father had shown up today, lounging nonchalantly against the doorway, Caroline had felt a flash of deja vu. Hadn't she seen him a dozen times before, same pose, same spot, same smirk? It felt like a hundred years ago since she had last seen him in Mystic Falls. Her heart had stuttered seeing him again, and once again, she had masked her feelings with mock hostility.

He had promised to stay away. And even then she knew some day, some reason would bring him back. He kept his promise for almost sixteen years only to break it today.

She sighed. _With good cause_ , she admitted.

The dark magic that had been divided into four pieces and placed into the Mikaelson siblings - Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, and Kol - had somehow managed to find its way into the one host it desperately wanted: Hope.

Klaus was determined to save his daughter and had come to Mystic Falls to beg for Caroline's help. His plan was simple and yet - ludicrous. He wanted Caroline's daughters, siphoners of magic, to siphon the darkness from Hope and then place it in him.

Just when Caroline didn't think she could be more shocked, Klaus had pulled out a white oak stake. She received a further shock when she realized his plan hinged on him killing himself once the dark magic was within him.

Alaric and the girls had left hours ago. When Alaric looked at Caroline with a silent question in his eyes, she shook her head.

Maybe she was coward. Maybe it would have offered Klaus some comfort to see her there in his final moments. But she just couldn't watch him die.

Caroline's eyes darted towards the clock once more. It must be over by now. It must be.

Klaus Mikaelson was dead.

She slapped a hand to her mouth, covering a muffled sob as it clawed its way from her throat. Hot tears fell freely down her face. It all seemed so impossible; like a bad dream. Klaus was the strong one; the truly immortal one - how could she survive and not him?

Movement from the treeline caught her eye and she saw three shadows hurriedly making their way towards the school. Alaric and the girls. Relief crashed through her - they were alright.

And then - _Klaus_ , she thought, her heart clenching as grief tore through her. She quickly grabbed a tissue and dried her eyes. She didn't want the girls - or Alaric - to know how upset she was. Once again, she had to be the strong one. The one to survive no matter the heartache or pain of losing another friend.

Moments later, the girls burst through the door of her office, crying out, "Mom!" Rushing to her, Caroline held out her arms and enveloped them in a hug, drawing them close to her.

"What's wrong, are you okay?"

They clung to her, shivering - with cold or fear, Caroline didn't know. Over their heads, she caught Alaric's eye.

"They're fine," he assured her, heading to his desk and pulling out a bottle of whiskey. "We're fine. A little shook up, that's all." He poured himself a glass before throwing the contents down his throat in one swallow.

"What happened?"

Alaric shook his head. "It didn't work. He's still alive."

Caroline gasped, relief pouring through her. Alaric narrowed his eyes and she dropped her gaze, hugging the girls tightly. Kissing first Josie, then Lizzie, on their foreheads, she released them. "Girls - it's way past your bedtime. Go on."

The twins began protesting in unison, "But, mom -"

"Girls, go, now," Alaric said.

The girls fell silent, recognizing that their father's tone held no room for argument.

He pulled them close as they passed, hugging each of them. "You did good. Both of you. You were very brave. I'm proud of you - we both are."

Caroline smiled reassuringly as they both looked back at her before leaving the room.

"What happened?" Caroline asked quietly as Alaric poured himself another drink and took another long sip.

Alaric let out a long sigh. "Jesus, Caroline," he said, perched against his desk. "I've seen some freaky things in my life, but that -" he shook his head and gave an involuntary shudder.

Caroline folder her arms across her chest, shaking her head. "I knew it wouldn't work," Caroline said. "It was a stupid idea to begin with. What happened?"

Alaric shrugged. "The girls did what they were supposed to do. It worked; the Hollow is in Klaus now."

He raised his glass to finish off his drink.

"Klaus had the stake - he did it, Caroline. Staked himself directly into his heart, but something happened. The Hollow - she woke up and she's pissed. She burned it. It burst into flames."

"How -"

Alaric shook his head. "Christ, I don't know how. She was protecting herself, I guess. Some crazy blue light emanated from him. The girls started screaming, Elijah was screaming. Hope showed up, started screaming. The next thing I know, Klaus is on the ground with a hole in his chest and a barbequed heart. No sign of the stake."

"How do you know he's alive?" Caroline demanded.

"Because his body didn't burst into flames!" Alaric snapped. "And he was already beginning to heal when we left. Elijah and Hope took him. They're headed back to New Orleans. And I can't say I'm sorry to see them go."

Caroline heard the bitterness in his voice and watched silently as he poured himself another glass of whiskey.

Moving quickly, her own heart racing with relief, Caroline grabbed it out of his hands. She grimaced slightly as the liquor burned its way down her throat.

Setting the glass back on his desk, she took a deep breath and began pacing. "The Hollow won't give up without a fight. There has to be some way - something -"

"Why?! He murdered Jenna!" Alaric seethed. "He murdered her and god help me, there is a part of me that was looking forward to watching him burn tonight!"

Caroline swung towards him. "We took his daughter in!"

Alaric straightened from his desk and stood. "And I am sorry for that child, and the legacy that family leaves her, but for god's sake, I didn't actually think she'd end up here a week after I made the offer!"

Caroline paced the carpet and stared out the window for a moment before facing him once again.

"Yes, he murdered Jenna. And his mother made you an Original. And you held me hostage and tortured me!"

"I don't need the history lesson, Caroline!"

"And then you died, Ric. You died," Caroline continued. "Through some crazy twist of fate, you returned and you got to be human again. You met Jo! The girls -" Caroline stopped to take a breath, to get herself under control. "And now we have this life. Look at everything we have -"

"It's not our fight, Caroline - it's not your fight," he argued.

"Then whose is it?" she snapped. "What is it we're doing here, trying to teach these kids, day after day?"

Alaric held his hands up in surrender. "I don't want to fight, not after the night I just had."

"Oh, I am so sorry you're disappointed and that your night didn't go as you hoped," Caroline snapped.

He sighed again, pushing the whiskey bottle away from him and staring at her. "You care. About him."

The accusation hung in the air a moment, dividing them. Caroline sighed, and leaned against her desk, her hands gripping the edge.

"Yes." she admitted simply. "I see the good in him, Alaric. He's -" she shrugged helplessly. "Different. Because of Hope. He's trying to be a good father -"

"If he wanted to be a good father, he wouldn't have abandoned her," Alaric pointed out. "He could've stayed in touch her. God only knows why he didn't. Got too hard on his feelings or something."

"Yes, you're right, he made a terrible decision to abandon Hope - you know his history, Ric. It's the same history for a lot of the kids we take in here -"

Alaric rolled his eyes. "And now you're making excuses for him."

Caroline pointed a finger towards him. "I am not making excuses for him! I am simply asking you to understand - the same way you understand when the kids here lash out for the same reason -"

"They're kids! He's a grown-ass man who has had more than enough lifetimes to move past his trauma!" He sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. He shook his head. "Even if I did understand, how can you forgive him? Everything he did to you, your friends, this town -"

Caroline sighed with exasperation. "The same way I forgave you," she said simply.

Silence filled the air as they both recalled a sunny afternoon long ago, in a history classroom at Mystic Falls High School, filled with her terror and screams as Alaric had tortured her with vervain.

"That was a long time ago," Alaric muttered.

"Yeah, that excuse is flying around here a lot today."

"I wasn't myself," Alaric began.

"I know - I know," Caroline sighed, smiling slightly. "I'm sorry. It's just - sometimes I look back and I wonder."

"What?"

She was silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts. ""Stefan and I had a conversation once. About how we're no different from him - Klaus. Doing everything we can to protect our families - our friends - Elena," she chuckled.

"We don't hurt innocent people."

"Don't we?" she asked, looking at him. "Wouldn't we? What wouldn't we do, Ric, to protect our girls? No matter how much we try to tell ourselves we're different, the truth is we're no better than they are. We just try a little harder."

Alaric opened his mouth, then shut it once more. "Hell," he muttered, grabbing the whiskey bottle.


	2. Mardi Gras

**Thank you** to those who have followed, favored, and/or reviewed! I truly appreciate it. Would love to get some more reviews moving forward, so please: a couple of words, a sentence or two, or entire paragraphs would be great!

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In the city where the party never ends, the biggest party of the year was in full swing.

For three centuries, locals and tourists flooded the tight avenues of the French Quarter eager to experience Mardi Gras, the one-of-a-kind event; and each succeeding year had to be bigger, better, and more awe-inspiring than the last. The streets were colored with waves of purple, green, and gold. Music and laughter filled the air; the atmosphere was charged with wild and frantic energy, feeding the masses.

The bars and restaurants were packed with party-goers, all determined to have a good time, whether they actually were or not. Their goal was simple: to get drunk, to get wild, to have an experience they would cling to when they returned to their routine lives - a fond memory to look back upon in their old age to remind themselves they had once lived.

But inside the Mikaelson compound, the laughter and music faded away. The only melody playing was the crescendo of Klaus' tortured screams.

The dark magic of the Hollow consumed him now and upon arrival back in the city, his siblings had quickly imprisoned him in the dungeon for his own safety - and that of the thousands of tourists roaming the streets. While the Hollow possessed him, it was only a matter of time before Klaus' worst instincts would surface. His tendency for paranoia and ruthlessness would overwhelm him, leading to chaos and mayhem in the city with no easy way to stop him.

The Hollow, having been deprived of Hope, had been unyielding in her vengeance. Hallucinations now filled Klaus' head, and his family had a fairly good idea which demon was haunting him. But that wasn't the worst.

The worst was when he grew quiet. When they used their enhanced hearing and heard the muffled sobs of a little boy begging to know what he'd done wrong.

Klaus' hallucinations were his own, but each sibling carried with them the memories of their parents, and those memories stirred within them now, giving them a small taste of the hell Klaus was enduring.

Now, the family gathered upstairs in the library and pinned all of their hope on Freya, who was surrounded by dozens of open spellbooks. Her vision blurry from the lack of sleep, she was overwhelmed with exhaustion.

"You need to rest," Keelin insisted.

"I can't," Freya's voice trembled. "I can't rest, not until I fix this!" She pushed the books away from her and sent them scattering across the room. With shaking hands, she reached for another cup of her special brew, one that would keep up awake while she tried to figure out a way to destroy the Hollow once and for all.

"Freya, that's enough," Keelin admonished, moving the teapot out of her reach. Grabbing Freya's hands, Keelin gave them a reassuring squeeze.

Looking into her beloved's eyes, full of love and concern, Freya's own face crumbled as tears began to fall.

Keelin gathered her wife in her arms and held her while Freya quietly sobbed.

From the corner of the room, where she and Kol where huddled, Davina spoke up. "Can't we dagger him?" she asked. "Isn't Papa Tunde's blade still lying around here, somewhere?"

Freya sighed, her voice muffled from being buried in Keelin's shoulder. "It's just more dark magic and after the way the Hollow destroyed the stake, I'm quite certain she can destroy that, too."

"Fine," Rebekah snapped, "then transfer it to Aurora and toss her into the ocean. No one will miss her."

Freya chuckled humorlessly, lifting her head and drying her eyes. "She - Inadu - is too strong. The ocean won't contain her for long and once she's free she'll just come for Hope once more."

The ticking of the grandfather clock filled the silence of the room, an ominous reminder that time was running out. Sooner or later, the Hollow would completely possess Klaus. After that, it would only be a matter of time before Inadu would break free and escape - and go after Hope. The family grew silent as they mentally scrolled through their vast collection of knowledge, trying to think of some way to save their brother and destroy the Hollow.

"Seperate it again," Keelin said quietly.

Kol rolled his eyes. "Because that worked out so well the last time," Kol sneered.

"Fine, then what's your solution?" Keelin snapped.

"Me," Hope said with resignation. "Just put it in me, she wants me - it's my fault -"

"Stop it!" Rebekah spoke sharply. "We are not sacrificing you to that - thing. That's the very last thing your father or any of us wants."

The crushing weight of Hope's guilt threatened to paralyze her. Growing up, she had seen the shadows and loss in each of their faces; and had felt a child's guilt of believing it was all her fault.

Her scheme to reunite with her father had backfired in the way only a Mikaelson plan could backfire - spectacularly. No matter what anyone said, or how they tried to tell her differently, she would always feel responsible for her mother's death. And again, because of her, her father was fighting for his life to protect her. Within the space of two weeks, she was in danger of losing both of her parents - and each death could be indirectly laid at her door.

Now it was her turn to make a sacrifice - for her father and family.

"I'll die and then return a vampire - a true tribrid," Hope pointed out pragmatically.

"Are you daft? Do you really think we would ask that of you - to become a vampire? We don't want that life for you, Hope. It's absolutely out of the question," Rebekah declared.

"Why won't you listen to me?!" Hope cried. "Everything is all my fault! Just let it take me, please! I can't bear it!"

"Hope -" Freya began, falling silent as Klaus' tormented screams filled the air.

Tears streamed down Hope's face. "I can't listen to him, I can't - this is my fault, everything - let me die!"

"Enough!" Elijah bellowed. "Marcel, take her - have Declan look after her. Freya, to bed - now. You will not solve this if you're falling asleep at the table. Keelin, please -"

"Come on, Freya, honey." Keelin helped Freya off from her chair, half carrying her away.

"C'mon, kid. Let's get you out of here for now." As Marcel led Hope away, their path was blocked by a figure in the doorway.

"Ms. Forbes!"

"Hope," Caroline said, her heart instantly going out to the distressed young girl. Hope rushed to her and Caroline enveloped her in a hug, holding Hope tight while she sobbed her heart out.

Over Hope's head, Caroline saw the rest of the family, distress and concern on all of their faces.

From the dungeon, Klaus's screams echoed throughout the halls.

"Come on, Hope." Marcel took Hope, his arm around her shoulders, and led her away.

Rebekah sighed heavily, as Caroline approached. "Thank you for coming. I know it's a lot to ask -"

"What can I do?"

Rebekah smiled weakly, thankful that Caroline wasn't the type to hold grudges. "I thought it might bring him a few moments peace if he saw a familiar face. One he ...fancies."

"He likes her?" Davina whispered incredulously to her husband. "He's known her, what, five minutes?"

Kol smirked. "A bit longer than that, actually. They have quite the history."

Caroline nodded to Rebekah. "Of course. Lead the way"

* * *

Rebekah led Caroline down a flight of stone steps and down a darkened hallway, coming to an open doorway.

Caroline paused on the threshold, inhaling sharply as she took in Klaus' appearance. Only twenty-four hours ago, he had appeared in Mystic Falls, confident and full of swagger, a handsome devil smirking casually at her.

Now he was disheveled, in the same clothes as he had worn in Mystic Falls. His shirt was torn and bloody from where he had staked himself. Manacles bound his wrists, the chains attached to the wall. He was currently sitting on the floor, with his back against the wall. His knees were drawn into his chest, his arms wrapped around his knees. His face was hidden as he buried his head into his arms.

If she hadn't been a vampire, she wouldn't have heard his muffled sobs.

Caroline stole a glance toward Rebekah.

"The Hollow is causing him some - mental distress," she said quietly. "And physical pain. The room is spelled. We can come and go as we please, but he can't, even if he manages to break the chains."

Caroline nodded as a memory from long ago came forth, unbidden, another time when Klaus was bound to a single room and she had stood on the outside looking in.

"Go away. Go away. Go away," he pleaded, his voice quavering as he rocked back and forth.

Caroline paused as she was about to step into the room, looking back at Rebekah.

"He's not speaking to us," Rebekah's voice quivered as she swallowed a lump in her throat.

Caroline nodded, taking note of Rebekah's unshed tears and automatically understanding that the unspoken name of the person Klaus was talking to was Mikael.

"The Hollow wants to drive him mad so she can fully possess him," Rebekah said.

"And then she'll go for Hope."

"Yes," Rebekah whispered, her voice breaking. "I'll - be nearby if -"

"I'll be fine," Caroline assured her.

Rebekah nodded and sped off, her brother's distress too much.


	3. Letting Go

Caroline entered the darkened room slowly, noticing there were no windows in this section of the dungeon. What little light there was came from a few small windows to the right and left of the room Klaus was in. Long shadows were cast along the wall and floor and Caroline approached Klaus cautiously, as if she were approaching a wounded animal.

"Klaus?" she asked softly and kneeled by his side. She placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Can you hear me? It's Caroline."

She felt him sigh. "Are you here to harangue me in my final moments?"

Despite the tension, Caroline smiled. "Mm - still have your sunny attitude, I see. You've got everyone worried, you know."

"As well they should be," Klaus mumbled into his chest.

He turned his head slightly to stare at her and her heart immediately went out to him. "Oh, Klaus," she whispered.

He was pale, with dark circles under his eyes, his face wet with tears. He shivered slightly and Caroline saw an inky blackness creeping through the veins of his hands.

Klaus hid his hands from her view and she met his eyes once more.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this," he confessed. "She's so strong, Caroline - she's so angry. She wants my little girl -" his broke on a sob and he buried his face once more, ashamed of his tears.

"Shh," Caroline comforted, rubbing his back. "Listen to me. You're stronger."

Mikael scoffed from inside his head. _Stronger, boy? She thinks you're strong?_

Klaus shook his head. "I'm not -"

"Yes, you are," Caroline said firmly. "You're the strongest person I know. And it's not because you're the alpha male, or the hybrid, or an Original -"

Inside his head, Mikael's' laughter rang loudly. _Poor girl, if you're the strongest person she knows._

"Go away!" Klaus screamed, jumping forward onto his knees, pushing Caroline aside, before the chains pulled him back. "You're not real, you're dead, I killed you!"

Caroline scrambled to Klaus' side once more. "It's just a hallucination, Klaus, it's not real."

Klaus' body shook with fear and rage, helpless as always when facing his father. "Get out of my head!"

Mikael laughed. _You'll never be rid of me, boy. No matter how long you live. Which shouldn't be much longer. And then your abomination of a spawn will die, too._

"No," Klaus whispered, sinking onto his knees, defeated. Hope. His daughter, his heart. He had to protect her. "He's here," he whispered to Caroline. "He's right, I can't do this -"

Caroline shook her head. "That's Mikael talking; that's not you."

"He won't leave me alone; what did I do? What did I do wrong, why didn't he love me? I tried so hard -"

 _Because you were weak, boy. Always. A pathetic coward, no son of mine. I should have drowned you at birth._

"Leave me alone!" Klaus screamed.

"Klaus, look at me - look at me!" Caroline demanded, cupping his face in her hands.

A thin shred of sanity left in his tortured mind held onto the knowledge that she was was real. Caroline was here, an angel of mercy whose strength and light beckoned him back from the brink of insanity.

"You want him to leave you alone?" Caroline asked.

Klaus nodded frantically, desperate for a way out of this torment.

"Then tell him to fuck off."

For a brief moment, his mind cleared and he stared at her. The little boy within him chuckled uncertainly, titillated by the very idea. It only lasted a moment before the fear and insecurity crept in again, drowning him. He shook his head, a small smile of sadness across his face. "He's my father."

 _He's a terrible father._

Klaus whipped around as a familiar voice filled his ear and saw Hayley marching in.

Hayley stood before, arms crossed as she stared down at him. _Caroline's right - you should just tell him to fuck off. He may have kept a roof over your head or put food on the table but -_ she shook her head. _He wasn't a father. Not by a long-shot._

"Look at me - look at me!" Caroline stroked his face gently. "Then there's only one other option."

He turned his attention from the mother of his child to Caroline, the woman who captured his heart years ago and never quite let go.

Desperate hope welled up inside of him; does she really have the answer to end this misery? This torture? A way to finally move on, past his insecurities and memories of the abuse he suffered at the hands of a monster? He wanted to believe that she can help him banish Mikael from his thoughts once and for all, but -

The hope welling up inside of him faded. After a thousand years, he doubted that today will finally be the day he defeats his father. Still, there is a small part of that hopes.

"What?"

"Forgive him," Caroline whispered.

Jerking his head back, he stared at her, incredulous. For the first time since he's known her, he is disappointed in her. Forgive him - did she not understand the abuse he went through at that monster's hands? "You do not know the abuse I suffered," he seethed. "You do not understand; if you did, you would never ask me to -"

"I understand more than you think," she said. "Don't you remember? My father loved me and then tortured me when he found out I was a vampire. He was so filled with hatred for us - vampires - he tortured his own little girl."

"Once," Klaus protested. "He tortured you once -"

"You think I wasn't scarred?" Caroline countered. "You think I don't have questions, how could he have done that to me? His own daughter whom he loved? My father was a good man and I know he loved me. Why didn't his love overcome his hatred, his fear of what I had become? I will never have enough answers, Klaus, I will never understand - not truly. And the only way I could move on, the only way I could let that go was to simply forgive him."

Caroline looked into Klaus' eyes and knew that she would have to fight in order for him to see reason.

"You have to forgive him, Klaus. You are so much stronger than Mikael is - than he ever was. That man closed his heart to his beautiful, smart, loving children because he couldn't bear the loss of Freya. He was a coward, afraid to love again because he was terrified of being hurt again. But you - you have always been stronger than him. Because no matter the pain and heartache and suffering he caused you, you still loved him. You loved your family. You opened your heart to a little boy who needed a father, to a sister you never knew you had, to a daughter you never expected to have - and you are loved in return."

Mikael cackled loudly. _Forgive me? Forgive me?! Pathetic - love is for the weak!_

"You're not a coward. Love doesn't make you weak; it makes you strong," Caroline insisted.

 _And where has love gotten you? Love is a vampire's greatest weakness, boy. Haven't you learned that by now?_

"He hurt me - I tried so hard - I was just a boy!" Klaus screamed towards Mikael, tears running freely down his face.

Mikael spewed hatred. _To toughen you up, boy! To make you strong - I see now it was a waste of time. You can't even protect your own spawn!_

"I know, I know, baby," Caroline soothed. Gathering Klaus in her arms, she comforted him as she would any child, for in this moment, that's what he was. A scared little boy who didn't understand why his father didn't love him.

Hayley kneeled down beside him. _If you can't believe in yourself, then at least believe in her. She wouldn't be here if she didn't think you were worthy._

"I asked him. I asked him, right before I killed him and he - didn't know. He just - didn't love me," Klaus sobbed.

"He was a broken man, and it was wrong - terrible of him to take it out on you and the others. But he didn't break you. He never broke you, Klaus. You still laughed. You still loved. You still found beauty in the world. You showed mercy and kindness in your darkest hours. I've seen it - you're a good dad - a great dad. All you've wanted is to protect her."

Mikael snorted. _A great dad. What drivel is this? You abandoned that child. Fifteen years old and you've barely spent two years together. Giving her to your sister. Letting another man raise her. Losing her all over again because you're a weak, sniveling, coward who can't protect her._

"I am not a coward!"

 _You can't protect her; you never could, not once. You're not strong enough. You never were! You should have killed her before she was even born._

"Shut your damn mouth!"

"You have the biggest heart of anyone I know, Klaus Mikaelson," Caroline insisted. "Despite everything. I know you have room in your heart to forgive him. Once and for all. Forgive him and let him go. Let him go," she begged.

Klaus shakes his head, utterly broken. "I can't -"

From the shadows, another figure appeared of light and beauty, and walked towards him.

Cami.

Her smile was gentle, perhaps a bit sorrowful, but her eyes sparkled in the light as she looked upon him. For a moment, the shadows in his mind retreated.

"Help me," he begged.

Mikael snarled. _Well, well. The brave bartender._

Cami snapped back, _Well, well. The child abusing psychopath._ She turned her back on him and knelt down beside Klaus.

 _Better you than me, pal_. Klaus whipped his head towards the familiar voice only to see Stefan Salvatore disappearing into the shadows.

How strange it is to be surrounded by the complicated women his life - the ones who have had the most profound effect on him within the past two decades. Hayley and Cami are so vivid before him, but he is still holding onto the last bit of his sanity and knows he is hallucinating.

Just as he knew Mikael was a hallucination formed by his own insecurities; he knew that Hayley was a hallucination formed by his love of Hope, and that Cami was a hallucination formed by the part of him that desperately needed to believe that he could change.

And next to him, holding him through this nightmare, was Caroline. The one woman he could not forget, no matter how hard he tried. The woman who saw the good in him, even at his absolute worst; even after he had hurt her.

Before him now, Cami spoke softly, her kind smile fixed upon her face. _Hey - she's right, you know. You're stronger than him. Than - this. There's strength in forgiveness. It's time to let this end. End it, Klaus._

Klaus shook his head, defeated. "I don't know how -"

Cami smiled gently at him. _Yes, you do. Stand up. Look him in the eye. Say the words, Klaus. Tell him you forgive him. And then let go of all that pain and heartache. Let it go, Klaus, once and for all._

Hayley nodded in agreement. _You've lost so much because of him - you almost lost Hope once because of him. End it, Klaus. For Hope._

Hope. In his mind, her image swam before him, beautiful and fierce, like her mother; strong and tenacious like him. A Mikaelson through and through - his littlest wolf. She had been his whole heart, his entire world, the moment he held her and gazed into her eyes. All he had ever wanted was to keep her safe - to be a better father than the one he had, and he had nearly failed her.

Caroline smiled encouragingly towards him. "You can do this."

He rose to his feet with Caroline's help. Hayley and Cami moved beside him, bathed in a sliver of sunlight and stared down Mikael.

Slowly, Klaus raised his eyes to meet his father's.

 _You will never be able to forget me, boy. I will always be there, in the back of your mind, lingering - every doubt you have, everytime you fail -_

Klaus sucked in his breath as he began to see Mikael in a new light. The realization hit him that he's almost as tall as his father. When Klaus was young, Mikael seemed ten feet tall, a giant in a little boy's eyes. Mikael had been a strong, fierce warrior, a skilled hunter, and Klaus had idolized him. He had been desperate to win his father's approval and never had.

Never would.

"I forgive you," Klaus whispered.

 _What's that, boy? Speak up! Or are you too much of a coward?_

Klaus swallowed the lump in his throat as he continued to face the only man he has ever called father. Understanding now that he will never learn the answers he craves brings him sadness and regret. His regret is no longer that he was never good enough, no matter how hard he tried.

His regret now is that his father lost out on so much by refusing to bend.

Klaus shifted and stood taller, facing his demons at last. "I forgive you," Klaus said again, his voice stronger this time.

Mikael fell silent and stared at Klaus.

Klaus took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. A strange feeling took place within him - a shift in his heart that he felt in his soul.

He is no longer staring at a monster. There is just a man in front of him. A sad, lonely man. Not for the first time, the stirrings of pity welled up inside him for the man he called father. A man broken by his own wife's manipulations, a puppet as much as Klaus was.

"I forgive you, father."

Mikael faded from sight and Klaus grieved for the man and all that he lost. Mikael would always be his father. But Klaus no longer felt the need to have answers to questions he craved his entire existence. Some questions simply don't have any answers - or any that made sense.

He exhaled with relief, a momentary respite from the Hollow's torture.

Klaus tilted his head slightly to the left, but he already knew that Hayley and Cami were gone as well.

Left standing by his side was Caroline and he offered her a weak smile. His face was stained with tears for all that he has lost and for what will never be. Reaching for her, he hugged her before crumpling to the ground, exhausted from the mental battle. Caroline caught him and they sunk to the stone floor together, Klaus sobbing like a child in her arms, finally freed from a burden that never should have been his to carry.


	4. Goodbye

Klaus awoke slowly, his body screaming in protest from laying on the stone floor all night. A sweet perfumed scent filled his nostrils and a ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

Caroline.

He inhaled deeply, keeping his heart steady as he savored her scent. His head was cradled in her lap and her fingers brushed soothingly through the curls of hair at the nape of his neck.

Smiling inwardly, he recalled his first real meeting with Caroline Forbes. An angel, he had fancifully thought, walking into her bedroom that fateful night. Even faced with death, the light within her refused to dim. He had been star-struck seeing her, and had immediately felt an unfamiliar stab of guilt piercing through him for using her for his own means.

Each interaction afterwards wetted his appetite as he grew curiouser about her. He had pursued her for a year, growing more and more enamored of her. It had come as quite a shock to him when he realized just how much she had come to mean to him. For centuries, he was unaccustomed to caring for anyone other than his siblings. Yet when two of his brothers fell at the hands of her friends and she had pleaded with him for mercy for her friends, he had been unable to resist her.

If it hadn't been for a liquor-fueled one-night stand, he would have stayed in Mystic Falls, pursuing Caroline.

But he had slept with Hayley Marshall and while there was no love between them, the result was a greater love than he had ever dreamed of - unconditional love.

Hayley had given him Hope, in more ways than one, and he would forever be grateful to her. He couldn't have asked for a better mother for his daughter. Hayley had turned out to be the strongest woman he had ever known, able to bear heartache and stand toe-to-toe with him, and his dysfunctional family.

She deserved so much better, Klaus thought wistfully. They all did.

A pang of regret stole through him as his thoughts drifted to Cami, a woman who certainly deserved better than what she got. Kind and soft-hearted, but fierce in her devotion to her friends - and him. She had desperately tried to help him become a better version of himself, for not only Hope, but for himself. She had tried her best and had fought valiantly, but as it happened too often, succumbed to the overconfidence that came too easily with new vampires. Finding herself endowed with real power and heightened emotions, she had overplayed her hand, which led to her downfall.

And now he was here with Caroline. She had helped him on numerous occasions these past two weeks, and here she was once more, out of the kindness of her heart, even though he knew he didn't deserve it.

Caroline continued to stand out in his memories, a shining light casting shadow over the memories of every woman he had ever bothered to remember. He never quite gotten her out of his system. She had always lingered in the back of his mind, even as he tried to forget her.

She had captured his fancy years ago and never let go.

Klaus opened his eyes slowly, wanting to stay where he was, with his head in her soft lap. Just one more moment before he had to face the reality that the Hollow was still inside him.

His entire family, especially Hope, was in danger as long as the Hollow was still in play. Her dark magic continued to pull and tug at him. Hallucinations had only been a small part of her vengeance. Now that they no longer worked on him, she would resort to something else. There was no doubt in his mind that whatever it was, it would be infinitely more painful.

And he didn't want Caroline around when that happened. He had hurt her enough in the past and he would never forgive himself now if she ended up hurt, or worse, because of him.

He sighed and felt Caroline's fingers still.

A sad smile crossed his face, knowing that she knows he is awake now and simply putting off the inevitable. Leaving the comfort of her lap, he stretched.

Caroline searched his face. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," he said, attempting to reassure her with a smile.

Taking her hand in his, he looked at her. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I don't know what I did to deserve your kindness -"

"Klaus -"

"Let me finish - please." Klaus took a deep breath. "I will never be able to repay you for what you did for me yesterday - or these past few days. All I can do is keep you safe."

Before she could argue, Klaus continued.

"I need you to be safe, Caroline. I don't want to lose anyone else - I can't lose anyone else. And especially not you, not after all you've done for me, for my family."

He swallowed hard, forcing himself to continue.

"The truth is, I'm feeling a bit - peaky, and I -" he stumbled to a halt, looking into her blue eyes, full of concern. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "I'm not sure how much longer I can hold on."

How could he do this? Everything he had ever wanted was within his grasp and a twist of fate was forcing him to send the one person he desperately wanted away. Every fiber of his being screamed in protest - how could he send her away when she was everything he had ever wanted? But he felt himself getting weaker while the Hollow continued to consume him.

"I don't want you to see me if -" he closed his eyes, shaking his head, before meeting her gaze once more. "I don't want you to see me like this. Go home, Caroline, to your family, your girls. Please."

There was so much he wanted to tell her. How grateful he was to her for helping him. How beautiful she was. How she was never far from his thoughts. He had lived a thousand years, done unspeakable things and none of it - none - made him feel as low as sending her away did.

Caroline opened her mouth wordlessly. Unbidden, tears rolled down her cheeks.

"No - none of that, sweetheart," he murmured, wiping away her tears. "You know I am helpless against your tears."

"I can't help it -" she whispered. "Klaus, I -"

"Don't," he said fiercely, holding her face in his hands. "Don't."

She nodded, understanding, staring at his face as if she would memorize every detail. Slowly, she leaned forward and softly pressed her lips to his.

He held himself utterly still, savoring her soft lips on his, losing himself in her touch.

Too soon, she pulled away, her eyes locked on his.

His inner voice screamed for her to stay. Just a moment longer. Just one more kiss of her sweet lips.

Instead, his eyes fell to the necklace she wore, holding wedding bands from long ago. Hers and Stefan's.

"Promise me - no matter what happens, that you'll see the world and all it has to offer. Promise me that you will keep your heart open," he asked.

Caroline nodded and smiled weakly.

"Although, if I could offer you one piece of advice? I'd recommend you try to find someone without siblings."

Caroline laughed, choking back her tears as Klaus teased her.

"How do you do that? How do you make me laugh when - the worst is happening all around us?"

 _If only she knew_ , he thought. He cherished the moments he made her genuinely laugh. Her laughter was a soothing balm on his darkened soul; her smile capable of leaving him breathless and driving every thought out of his head. He ached to see her smile, to hear her laugh.

"It's a gift," he said smiling. "I know it's an odd thing to say, Caroline. But I'm - proud of you. You were born for this life. And that light of yours continues to shine bright, despite all of your sadness and heartache. Promise me you'll keep shining."

She nodded once more, her face crumbling while tears threatened to overwhelm her.

She was beautiful, he thought. Even in this moment, when her eyes were swimming in tears, as she bravely struggling to remain strong - for him. When she had asked him all those years ago, why her, he had answered honestly.

 _You're beautiful, you're strong, you're full of light._

It was as true today as it was then.

He cupped her face, his thumb lightly brushing against her cheek, and resting his forehead on hers. "You have always known, Caroline," he whispered. "It was always you. Always."

He breathed her in once more, desperate for this moment to last.

And then she was gone. The air stirred for a moment in her wake and he was left alone in silence. A few of his tears fall freely and he hastily wipes them away. Taking a deep breath, he made an effort to get himself under control before he must face his family.

The Hollow within him is growing and he can feel himself getting weaker. He doesn't know how much longer he has until she takes over completely. And once she does, he'll be a threat to his daughter - to his entire family, with no way to slow him down. He must speak with his family and tell them to do whatever it takes to keep Hope safe - even if it means killing him.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for the favorites and follows! Would love to have some more feedback, so please, leave a review. I really would like to know how the story is resonating with you. Thank you!


	5. Round 'n Round We Go

Upstairs in the library of the Mikaelson compound, Freya, Elijah and Rebekah gathered around a large table, with ancient books and grimoires piled high. Brows were furrowed as they each poured over the texts, hoping the key to destroying the Hollow was in one of them. The silence occasionally broken by a voice speaking out, asking questions about a spell or translation.

Downstairs in his cell, still chained, Klaus had grown quiet, his nightmares banished for now. Their relief they had felt had only lasted a moment; now he was talking crazy, telling them to kill him if the Hollow overtook his body.

Sighing, Rebekah closed one book and reached for another.

"I already searched that one," Elijah said distractedly.

Wordlessly, Rebekah slammed it shut and tossed it back onto the table.

Freya sighed and held the palms of her hands across her eyes. Blurry handwriting and a fitful night's sleep contributed to the pounding in her head.

Keelin strode in, a mug of tea in her hands. "Here," she said quietly, passing the mug to Freya.

"Thank you," Freya said, smiling gratefully.

Keelin leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her wife's temple, rubbing her back gently.

"Any luck?"

"No," she said fretfully. "The others are at the Lycee's library, but -"

"There's not a thing there that's useful," Kol said, entering the room with his wife and Vincent behind him.

Freya looked at him with defeated eyes.

"I'm sorry, Freya - there's nothing," Davina said quietly.

Freya sighed. "I'll just keep looking then."

Vincent stepped forward, his eyes traveling over the dozens of books on the table. "Freya," Vincent began. "We need to consider the possibility that dividing the Hollow again is - for now - the best option."

Kol sighed, shaking his head. "We're going in circles. We've been over this - how long before some emergency or another brings us together again? What happens when the next big bad makes a move against Hope?"

"And if your brother gets loose and escapes his bonds, we put Hope and the entire city in danger," Vincent said. "I would think - I would hope - that you've all learned your lesson about staying away from each other. For God's sake, there's technology available that will keep you connected -"

Freya shook her head. "It's not the same." Her voice trembled, meeting the gaze of her siblings. For a thousand years, she searched for them, desperate to be with them. Reconnecting a few months after Hope was born, they had only spent what seemed like moments together before having been forced apart, and now it looked as if they would be forced apart once more.

"It has to be different this time. It can't just be Freya putting in the work. We all need to make sacrifices," Keelin said.

"Remind me what sacrifices you've made?" Elijah asked, glancing towards her from across the table.

"That is not fair!" Freya cried, jumping up from her seat to defend her wife.

"I've seen first-hand how dividing this family tore Freya up inside," Keelin said hotly. "I've seen first-hand how for every single day for seven years, she searched endlessly for a way to destroy the Hollow so you could reunite! I've seen how she pushed her own happiness aside for the sake of this family!"

Keelin turned to take Freya's hands in her own and stared into her eyes. "Vincent's right. You can't keep doing this, Freya. Not alone. Divide the Hollow as you did before. Then get some rest - real rest," she said sternly. "And then we'll begin to search. All of us," Keelin continued, glaring at each Mikaelson. "We will search for a way, all across the world - we will find a way. We have to work together this time. It can't all fall on Freya to solve this."

Freya fell into Keelin's arms, her face twisted in pain and acceptance - and immense love for the woman who had faithfully stood by her side all these years.

Across the table, Rebekah shifted under Keelin's stern gaze and looked away, forced to finally face the truth of her words. Keelin was right. While Freya had spent long days and nights, putting her own happiness aside, searching for a way to destroy the Hollow and reunite their family, Rebekah had been in New York City, trying to build a life with Marcel.

She convinced herself that she was facing reality and accepting the situation for what it was. For seven years, she busied herself making a home for her and Marcel, keeping busy with trivial matters that ultimately didn't mean a thing because she missed her family too much. Not even Marcel had been able to ease the pain in her heart. Unknowingly, she grieved for their loss, not realizing how deep her grief ran until it was too late.

Funny how life turned out. A thousand years and one would think she would be used to it. She had finally gotten everything she wanted: freedom from her family. Marcel. A life of her own. Her life should have been perfect, especially in the moments Marcel proposed to her.

Instead, she felt nothing but heartache during what should have been the happiest moment of her life. She had everything she had ever wanted - and it meant nothing to her because she couldn't share it with her siblings. Watching Freya and Keelin now, she resolved to do better this time. To do whatever it takes to rid the Hollow from their lives once and for all.

Kol sighed and glared at Elijah. "You and Nik have to stay away from each other. You have to, Elijah. We're not doing this compulsion nonsense with you again. This won't work unless you stay away -"

Elijah stared at Kol, his words rolling over him, knowing he was right and wondering when his youngest brother, of all people, had become the voice of reason.

Shame and guilt filled him once more as he berated himself for having been so weak that he had to have himself compelled. Not to mention how weak-minded he was that the compulsion had actually worked. His love for his family and Hayley had meant nothing to him while he was under compulsion. Shouldn't his love for them have jogged his memory? Or at least - awaken something within him?

They all, Klaus particularly, had risked the Hollow's wrath time and again, visiting him or being in his vicinity, protecting him from enemies he had no memory of. Elijah was the one who was supposed to protect them, from their foolishness, their pettiness, their enemies. And he had failed them - and her.

He had only had his memories back for a few days now and his control was at the breaking point. Everyone continued to look at him with pity and sympathy, mounting his own frustration. He wanted to save his family, his brother, his niece. If he could, he'd take that damn Hollow into himself and have Marcel bite him, ending it once and for all.

His family refused to consider that option.

He supposed that's why he was attacking poor Keelin. She was right. He hadn't done anything remotely useful in the past seven years to reunite his family. And when Klaus had arrived in France, begging for his older brother's help - he refused. He cruelly turned his back on his brother, his family - and Hayley.

Now, Elijah met Kol's gaze and nodded.

Kol looked to Rebekah. "Sister?"

She nodded, a few tears rolling down her cheek. "Agreed."

"You won't have Marcel there with you to ease your pain," Kol said ruthlessly. "You have to stay away, Rebekah -"

"I said, I agree, Kol!" she snapped.

Kol stepped forward, facing Elijah and Rebekah from across the table and folded his arms across his chest. "I just want to make certain we're all clear here, because there's no point in doing this again if you lot are going sneak around trying to catch glimpses of each other or run to each other's side if someone gets into a spot of trouble -"

"We've agreed, Kol," Elijah said, rubbing his temple. "There is no need to berate us; we're aware of the cost should we - fail."

In the silence that followed, each of them lost in their own thoughts, all wondering if they could actually do what would be required of them.

"We need to tell Hope," Rebekah said.

Freya nodded. "Tonight. We'll have a dinner this evening, together, before -" she trailed off, unable to say the words.

"Before we part ways once more," Rebekah said with a brave smile upon her face.

Freya took a deep breath. "Tonight, then. We'll do the ritual when the moon is at its apex."

* * *

The airport terminal was crowded with passengers making their way to their destinations. Caroline sighed as she watched the crowds, able to easily pick out which ones were coming to party or headed home after too much partying.

She managed to book a last-minute direct flight to Virginia, but the flight wasn't due to leave for another two hours. Nursing her cocktail quietly in the darkened corner of a bar, she watched as people came and went. And tried not to think about him.

It was an impossible task. Sixteen years ago, she convinced herself whatever feelings she had for Klaus Mikaelson had faded away. But the truth was, he had gotten under her skin in so many ways. And when Hope had arrived at the school, it had been impossible not to think of him on a near-daily basis.

She frowned, shaking her head, trying to clear it of memories. For the first couple of years, Klaus had called his daughter faithfully - and then had suddenly stopped. Hope had returned to school after break, quiet and withdrawn. When Caroline brought her concerns to Hayley, Hayley admitted that during the school break, Hope had seen her father - she had visited him via astral projection.

 _Caroline saw Hayley swallow uncomfortably and her gaze dart away from the webcam during their video conference call._

" _She saw something she shouldn't have. She saw her father -" she shrugged, meeting Caroline's gaze once more. "Being Klaus."_

Caroline had immediately understood and her heart broke for the little girl. And her father.

She wanted to shake him. To yell at him. To tell him he was being a stubborn fool.

But she never did. She had never interfered because…

Because she was a stubborn fool; too concerned with protecting herself instead of helping Hope. Reaching out to him would mean inviting him back into her life and she hadn't been ready - or willing - to accept that.

Excuses ran through her mind. She had been busy. The school was still in its early years and she had been working day and night to make it a success. Putting that aside to go tend to his man-pain - wasn't in her plans.

Regret filled her. If she hadn't been so stubborn, if she had taken the time to reach out, as a friend would, perhaps she could have helped. Perhaps she could have convinced him to reach out to Hope sooner, before all this happened.

Or maybe not.

No one could force Klaus Mikaelson to do what he didn't already want to do. Whenever she had asked for mercy from him on behalf of her friends or for some other favor, he had done so because he was already inclined to do so. She acknowledged that she couldn't have stopped him from killing the hybrids - or Carol Lockwood.

She couldn't have stopped him from completing the ritual that allowed him to become the hybrid.

She couldn't have saved Stefan from him and their murder-y road trip.

And she probably wouldn't have been able to convince him to reach out to Hope again in those early days.

His pain had simply been too great. Even when she saw him again in Paris, his pain was still fresh. The knowledge that his little girl had seen him as a monster ate away at him.

She could have told him there always comes a moment when a girl stops idolizing her father. Some would assume that Caroline had come to her own realization when her father had kidnapped her and tortured her, but the truth was, she had stopped idolizing her own father long before that moment.

The missed birthdays. The missed recitals and school plays. Phone calls instead of visits. Visits cut short for one reason or another.

The simple act of him leaving Mystic Falls. She understood her parents weren't in love and that he needed to leave. But to leave town - and her - entirely?

No, any illusions she had about her father had shattered the day he left. And William Forbes had known it as he looked into his daughter's eyes before he turned to leave.

Just as Klaus had known that he would never again be the benevolent king in Hope's eyes as he stood before her, the blood of his victims still fresh and dripping from him.

So, no, she probably would not have been able to talk him into calling Hope back then. The shame of disappointing his daughter had been too great. And over time, he had convinced himself that Hope was better off without him.

Caroline let out a heavy sigh, filled with impatience.

And now - he was fighting for his life. Rebekah had texted her earlier, letting her know that they had decided to divide the Hollow between the siblings once more. Klaus, and Hope, would be safe, but they'd all face the pain of separation - again. This time, she vowed to help him, to do what she could to make him realize -

Oh, damn.

Another realization dawned on her slowly.

She has fallen for him.

Somewhere in the past two weeks - the road trip, she recalled, smiling. So much was said. They had cleared the air and he - he had teased her, giving her his crooked little smile. And she had laughed, covering up her own mixed feelings, not with derision this time, but with laughter. … as her heart raced just a little bit faster.

She drew in a shuddering breath, her heart racing even now as she remembered - as she realized the simple truth.

The ringing of her phone startled her, making her jump, and she quickly brushed away a few tears. Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the number.

"Bonnie?!"

"Caroline?"

Caroline smiled, for the first time in days, hearing the familiar voice of her best friend. "Oh, my god - where are you?"

"Costa Rica! On the beach with Paulo bringing me fresh drinks on a regular basis," Bonnie giggled.

"Paulo?"

"Tall, dark, handsome - and entirely way too young for me," Bonnie smirked. "Listen - I got a call from Ric -"

Her body stiffened with annoyance. "I can only imagine what he had to say," Caroline said.

"He's worried about you. So am I - how are you?"

"I'm fine - I -" Caroline fell silent. No, she wasn't fine.

"Care?" Concern filled Bonnie's voice.

Caroline's voice cracked with unshed tears. "Bonnie," she whimpered, everything she wanted to say in that one word. "What am I going to do?"

"Oh, Care," Bonnie said, understanding laced in her voice.

"I like him," Caroline admitted. "More than - all those years ago. I just realized, sitting here in this stupid airport bar how much. Bonnie," she begged. "Do you have a way - anything to help?"

Bonnie was silent for a long moment. "I don't have a way, Caroline. I'm sorry. They'll have to divide it again."

Caroline sighed. "Yeah, that's what Rebekah said they were going to do tonight."

"You're leaving?"

Caroline shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "He asked me to leave," she muttered.

"Ouch," Bonnie commiserated.

"It wasn't like that," Caroline snapped. "He thinks he's protecting me from the Hollow in case he loses control."

"And so you - left?"

"What else am I going to do?"

"What happened to the girl who doesn't abandon her friends?" she asked softly.

"Bonnie!" Caroline cried, dismayed at the low blow she had just delivered.

"Sorry - sorry," Bonnie said immediately. "That wasn't fair - besides, he's got his family there to help him. You're not abandoning him. Maybe once this is all over, you two can -" Bonnie trailed off.

"Yeah, maybe," Caroline muttered, still hurt that Bonnie would think she's willingly abandoning a friend and only slightly mollified by her apology.

"Listen, I gotta go - I just wanted to check in on you. I'll call you again, soon, okay?"

"Okay - thanks, Bonnie," Caroline said quietly.

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Apologies for the delay. Real life has been a beast. No worries, though, I'm not dropping this story. I have it all planned out and have rough drafts of the rest of the chapters. It's just a matter of finding the time and energy to edit. In the meantime, please, **leave a review** and let me know your thoughts so far - I love hearing from you.


	6. Sun, Sand - and Magic

Bonnie hung up the phone and sighed, gazing out into the Pacific Ocean. A cool breeze swept across the beach but it barely registered. The hurt in Caroline's voice was real and Bonnie was sorry for it, but within her lingered a resentment towards Klaus Mikaelson and his siblings. Every single one of them - with the exception of Freya - had either betrayed her or manipulated her as a teenager, making her feel small and inadequate as a witch and a friend. Her friends, even Caroline, had been hurt repeatedly, even killed because of them.

She shivered and smiled faintly at Paulo, right on time, delivering another fruity cocktail. Shaking her head when he inquired if she would need anything else. Her drink sat untouched as she continued to gaze out across the horizon, her mind running in circles.

Over a decade ago, she had left Mystic Falls and never looked back. During her early travels, she had stumbled upon a career as a photojournalist. Her photos were now in high demand and featured in print and media across the globe. When the ravages of war, poverty, and nature's decline became too much for her to bear, she would head back to Mystic Falls to recharge. She usually allowed Caroline to talk her into lecturing or teaching a class or two for a semester, but that was all.

Bonnie Bennett had discovered freedom and she wasn't eager to settle down - at least not yet.

An independent photographer, she set her own rules and her own schedule, traveling wherever her whim took her. Her name alone, as a powerful witch and photographer, provided entry into the most exclusive circles and the more humbled.

From the highest mountains, the driest deserts, wild, enchanted forests and mystical jungles, her friends and acquaintances were across the spectrum, from truly powerful to normal beings. She appreciated them all and kept in contact with most.

Since leaving Mystic Falls, she had been wooed by sinfully rich oligarchs, tribal chiefs, politicians, and one royal prince. Turning down all offers gracefully because none of them made her heart sing. The grief she had felt over Enzo had faded years ago, and although he still held a small piece of her heart, she was still hopeful and open to the possibilities of finding love again.

All the while, she was absorbing knowledge, learning new forms of magic and becoming more powerful as she got older.

She supposed she would settle down in Mystic Falls someday, but not yet. Although she was rarely home, she kept in touch her friends. Phone calls when possible. Emails when she had wifi. And if absolutely necessary, witch mail.

A desperate phone call from Alaric, worried about Caroline, was how she discovered that Inadu - the Hollow - the Great Darkness - was currently possessing Klaus Mikaelson.

Bonnie didn't need Alaric to spell it out for her: she already knew her best friend had always had a "what if" fantasy about Klaus. When Alaric told her that Caroline had gone after him in Paris after one of his murder sprees, then a road trip, she knew that Caroline was falling for Klaus.

"Damnit," she muttered. "Damnit, damnit, damnit!" Picking up the glass Paulo had recently set down, she threw it with all her might towards the ocean, scared a few seagulls in the process.

She didn't want to help him. Like so many other witches, she was of the opinion that separating the Mikaelsons made the world a safer place. But in the back of her mind, she knew. They would never stick with it. They would risk their lives, and others, just to see one another on one pretense or another.

Codependent didn't begin to describe it.

And Caroline would be caught in the middle.

Together with Elena, they were best friends. No one else understood the pain they had gone through during high school and the few years afterwards. No one else understood Bonnie's need to get away from Mystic Falls. They had each loved and lost - much in their relatively short lives.

 _I got out of Mystic Falls to avoid shit like this_ , she thought furiously. She knew what she was going to do, her decision had been decided moments after hanging up with Caroline - hearing Caroline's voice catch with tears had been the deciding factor. She didn't give a damn about Klaus Mikaelson - but she loved Caroline. So she would do what she always did: she would put her friend's happiness first.

She could tell herself there were other reasons. Rationally, Bonnie knew there was another reason. The Mikaelsons wouldn't stay away from each other; she knew that as surely as she knew the sun would rise tomorrow. Inadu would eventually succeed,becoming all-powerful and hell-bent on taking over the world. Bonnie had a serious issue with that.

 _And also_...she sighed. The older she got, the more she understood that nature thrived on best when balanced. And like it or not, the Mikaelsons had a very large place on the balancing scales.

So - she would make her best friend happy. She'd defeat an evil witch, and she'd help restore nature's balance.

She smiled ruefully. All in a day's work.

 _But first, one more drink_ , Bonnie thought, smiling and waving towards Paulo.


	7. Resentment Rising

The table groaned with food and the best wine from the cellar flowed freely while candlelight flickered, sending shadows dancing across the dining hall.

It was supposed to be a gathering of family; an opportunity to be with one another one last time before having to be separated again. It was meant to be cheerful and festive, an evening of laughter and perhaps a few tears as they shared memories and stories with each other. The intention had been to create a happy moment together, one to recall when things got tough - when they were feeling lonely while apart from one another.

Instead, silence hung in the air like a shroud; the only sound the occasional clink of silverware on porcelain plates. Two chairs were conspicuously empty as Klaus remained chained in the dungeon and Rebekah had elected to eat dinner with him.

Hope sighed and glanced around the table. Elijah sat at the head of the table, with her and Freya on either side of him. Across the table, Keelin sat next to Freya; and Kol and Davina sat together. Next to Hope was Marcel, then Vincent.

Hope set her fork down and crossed her arms over her chest. "This sucks."

"Hope," Freya admonished.

"Dad and Rebekah aren't even here! This is the last time we'll be together for who knows how long -"

"That's enough," Elijah began.

"Oh, leave her alone," Kol said, tossing his own fork down. "She's right, brother. This is morbid."

"This the thanks I get," Freya said bitterly. "Forgive me for trying to put together a family meal before we are once more forced to part -"

"This will be difficult for all of us," Elijah began.

"Not all," Freya said, glaring down the table towards her youngest brother.

"If you have something to say, say it, sister," Kol snapped.

Freya placed her fork very precisely on her plate, her eyes cold as she confronted her youngest brother. "As you wish. It's no secret you run from this family every chance you get and we have to beg you to return and do your duty. You're selfish, Kol."

"Selfish?!" Kol asked incredulously, pushing his chair back and standing. "You think I'm selfish? For what? Wanting my life to be my own? Getting married and having my own home? What I have done is not selfish - it's what normal people do! Had we remained human, you each would have done the same! Instead, we became sickeningly codependent upon one another! It's not selfishness that drives me away, sister, it's self-preservation, and I suggest if you want to keep Keelin by your side, you try it!"

Freya jumped from her seat and faced her brother, fury etched across her face. "So I should just give up? Deny Hope her father? Are you even planning on helping us find a way to destroy the Hollow?"

"Of course I am! But I will not let this consume me -'" he paused, looking down toward his wife. "Us." He sighed and placed a hand on Davina's shoulder. Looking around the table and meeting the gaze of his family, his eyes begged for understanding. "Davina has no intention of turning," he said quietly. "This is her one life and by some miracle, she chose to spend it with me. The least I can do is make certain that we actually spend it living."

Silence filled the hall as happiness and longing mixed with an aching resentment towards Kol. The youngest sibling, the wild one, the one who had never shown a greater purpose had managed to not only find love, but keep it. Kol had done the impossible: break free of the codependency that had ruled their lives for a thousand years.

"Kol's right."

As one, the family looked towards Elijah wordlessly.

"Thank you, brother," Kol said, slightly surprised Elijah was defending him.

Elijah laid his napkin down onto the table." "We cannot keep score of who is doing more or less. He has a life outside of this family."

"So I am once again on my own, when it comes to saving this family?" Freya cried. "I have to do it all myself -"

"We will help you, Freya, we will do all we can, but we cannot forget to live. We're immortal -"

"I'm not!" Freya screamed. "Hope's not!"

"All the more reason for you to live!" Elijah snapped.

Sighing, he sat back in his chair and looked at Freya. He shook his head, casting his eyes downward before meeting Freya's gaze.

"We have walked this earth for a thousand years and how much of that time can we say has truly been spent living?"

Freya paused, closing her eyes against the tears that threatened. Awake for only a single year every century, and then stuck with Dahlia. She hadn't been living, she had been surviving. Freya often thought that her siblings had it better, for at least they were together. She never knew, until years later, that they had often been as miserable as she was.

Elijah stared unseeing before him, lost in his own thoughts. For a thousand years, he had been the leader, the patriarch of their clan, trying to keep them safe, trying to reign them in when they got out of control. Duty had grown to a sickening co-dependency on one another, particularly for him and Niklaus. Elijah's guilt for standing by while Mikael abused his little brother knew no bounds, no matter how often Niklaus told him there was no blame that was his.

And now the guilt he faced in the days since getting his memories back.

Niklaus had risked all to protect him. Because Elijah had been unable to face a life without his siblings, because he was unable to recognize any number of enemies.

Because of him, Hayley was dead and his niece had lost her mother.

All because he had been afraid to live without his family.

"When we first returned to New Orleans, I told Niklaus how, after all our time on earth, I could count on one hand the number of times I had been truly happy." He chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head. "Five times - five moments in a thousand years."

His face was etched in sadness. "The things done to protect this family - to keep us safe, to survive - were not perfect. And this is not perfect either, but it's something." He met Hope's eyes. "The things we do to keep this family safe rarely brings any of us happiness. This is no different."

"It's not perfect," he repeated. "And I'm sorry - more sorry than I can say that it's come to this once more. But we will survive. We will be safe - you will be safe."

He turned to Freya. "And we will help you, Freya. I promise. But we need to live, too. All of us."

Elijah reached for Freya's hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

Silently, she nodded and sat back down, as Kol did.

Across the table from Davina, Marcel sent her a quick wink. As far as Mikaelson dinners went, this one was far from being a total disaster. Mulling over what Elijah had said, Marcel realized that he was right. He and Rebekah had spent seven years together in New York City, away from their family and sadly, only a couple of moments stood out. Moments when they were happy and in love. Perhaps it had been naive or foolish of him, but he had always believed that once he and Rebekah were out from the shadow of the family, they would be free.

Too late, he had discovered that their bonds ran too deep to ever truly be free. He was terrified that Davina would come to the same realization, but he realized tonight that Kol would fight his family, even defy them, for Davina. Unfortunately, he couldn't say the same for Rebekah.

Or himself, if he was being totally honest. Could he blame her for not fighting for him - for them - when he wouldn't either?

He sighed, noting that the silence in the room had grown awkward.

"I'll be staying in New Orleans," he said, smiling towards Freya as he hurried to fill the silence. "Someone has to help Vincent get this city running again."

Keelin turned to Elijah and smiled brightly towards him. "Elijah - any ideas where you'll go?"

"Perhaps Asia. I have some contacts in Singapore. They may be able to help."

"Oh, I've always wanted to go to Asia," Keelin said.

"And I get to be dumped off at school in Mystic Falls - again," Hope muttered.

"We've been over this, Hope -" Freya sighed.

"Why can't I stay? I can help!"

"It's not your responsibility to -" Elijah began.

"Yes, it is!" Hope insisted. "Look, I can go to school here. Freya and Vincent can help me with my magic - there's nothing they can teach me in Mystic Falls that I can't learn here."

"You're safer in Mystic Falls," Elijah said.

"That's where your dad wants you," Marcel chimed in.

"What about what I want?!"

"You wanted to see your father again and look what's happened," Davina said quietly.

Hope gasped and her head snapped back as if she had been slapped. Silence reverberated across the table as everyone paused to stare at Davina.

"I - I didn't mean -" Davina faltered.

"Yes, you did," Hope gritted through her teeth.

"Hope, it will be different this time. Your dad will keep in contact with you -" Marcel assured her, but Hope was already out of her seat and running out of the room.

"Hope," Freya called after her, throwing her napkin onto the table and following her.

Hope's bedroom door slammed shut, echoing throughout the house.

* * *

 **Hello, everyone! I hope you've enjoyed the most recent chapters. Since the last chapter was rather short, I went ahead and posted this one. I'm so sorry for the delay in updating. I swear I'm not dropping this story, it's just slow-going with real life. Please leave me some reviews - not gonna lie, your words of encouragement keep me going! Even your constructive criticism is welcome. Thank you!**


	8. Hail Mary

_Attention, Flight 209, with service to Richmond, Virginia, will begin boarding at Gate 12B in ten minutes._

Caroline sat away from the crowd near her gate and wiped a few lingering tears from her eyes.

Why did it hurt so much?

Sighing, the truth once again stared at her unmercilessly. She finally could see herself falling for Klaus and even though they had come up with a short-term solution, his time would be spent searching for a way to ultimately defeat the Hollow and reunite their family.

Old insecurities rose up inside her, spiteful voices telling her that she wasn't enough for him, not without his family. She shook her head, trying to silence the voices. It wasn't as if she didn't have a life - she had a very full life, thank you very much. She had her family, her friends, and her career.

Caroline sighed once again. _It was never easy_ , she thought. There was always some crisis - but there was always a loophole. Always another way. Until now.

Now, they were simply out of time.

Caroline chuckled humorlessly at the irony. They were immortal beings; time was all they all. And yet - not this time.

 _Attention, passengers aboard Flight 209 with service to Richmond, Virginia. We'll begin boarding our VIP and Business Express customers momentarily, as well as any passengers requiring additional assistance._

Caroline stood and gathered her purse, her phone in hand with her eticket. She waited behind an elderly woman in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank, who was slowly fussing with her purse, looking for her ticket.

Caroline sighed quietly when her own phone began to ring. Frowning when she saw Bonnie's number pop up on the screen. She stepped out of line, answering the call.

"Bonnie? Is everything okay?

"Hey - Caroline, yeah, everything's fine. Listen -" Bonnie paused. "I found a way. I know how to defeat the Hollow and keep the Mikaelson's together."

The world around Caroline faded as she processed what Bonnie had said - and what it could mean. Her heart lifted, hammering against her chest. Hope, tinged with cautiousness, filled her.

"You do?" Excitement laced Caroline's voice. "But I thought you said -"

"Yeah - I know. Listen, it's going to be tricky, but I'm heading out as soon as I'm packed. I'll probably be in New Orleans late tomorrow. Tell Freya not to do the ritual tonight. And - help Klaus hang on till I get there."

"Oh, my God, Bonnie, are you serious? You have a way?" Caroline cried.

"Yeah," Bonnie chuckled. "I'll be there soon, okay? And Care - be careful. There may be trouble."

"Trouble? What do you mean? Bonnie, is everything okay?!"

"I'll be fine," Bonnie stated grimly. "Don't worry about me, I'll be there. I gotta run, Care - love you!"

"But - love you," Caroline faltered as the line went dead.

Caroline stared at her phone, daring to believe the impossible -

"Miss, are you boarding?"

Caroline snapped her attention to the boarding agent.

"No - no, I'm sorry, I - have to go."

Caroline turned and began making her way quickly through the busy concourse towards the exit, her mind racing.

Bonnie had once again come through to save the day.

And once again, before it was over, there would be trouble.

* * *

Rebekah stared out the window of the parlor, turning only when she heard the light steps of her sister coming down the stairs.

"How is she?"

Freya sighed. "Fifteen." A humorless chuckled escaped her. "Distraught. Overwhelmed. Grieving."

Freya glanced sharply at her younger sister. "Who's with Klaus?"

"Elijah."

Freya sighed once more, nodding, before rubbing her temples. "I suppose I should prepare."

Rebekah nodded. "Freya - it won't be forever."

Freya nodded, a sad smile upon her face. "I know. I just hope it doesn't take too long -"

"Hello?" a familiar voice called out from the courtyard.

Rebekah appeared, frowning slightly. "Caroline - what are you doing here?"

For once, Caroline wasn't offended by Rebekah's brusque manner. She smiled. "Bonnie - she found a way."

* * *

 **A/N: another short chapter. Thank you for the follows and favorites! I'd love to hear from you in the comments: what you like, don't like, hope to see next or more of. Seriously, comments keep me going!**


	9. Trouble Brewing

On the outskirts of the French Quarter lay Lafayette Square, a small park. A lone woman sat on a bench, watching as city workers and volunteers cleaned up after the revelry of Mardi Gras. A cool breeze stirred the loose black tendrils of hair framing her face. Soon, a man approached, taking a seat next to her, his watchful eyes scanning the area.

"Giselle," he greeted her.

"Hugo," she replied. "What news?"

Sensing his hesitation, she glanced towards him as he shrugged. She answered her own question. "The Hybrid holds on."

Hugo sighed. "He's strong."

"Our mistress is stronger." Giselle permitted a small smile to grace her lips. "It won't be much longer. Inadu will be free of his body and bind herself to the young woman. And once done, our mistress will be truly immortal."

"The child's family won't -"

"They won't kill her. They won't ever kill her," Giselle said confidently. "They'll have hope -" she smirked slightly at her pun, "that they can save her. They can't. And if they make a nuisance of themselves - our mistress will finish them." Giselle smiled, visions of the glory they would soon have after serving faithfully to the one true witch. Their coven would be unmatched in power; the others would join - or perish.

"There is one thing -" Hugo hesitated. "I received word that the Bennett witch is due to arrive in the city within a few hours. One assumes she's here to help the Mikaelsons.

He covertly watched Giselle from the corner of his eye, noticing her lips purse.

"Against us? We'll crush her," Giselle said, dismissing the Bennett witch.

"Alone, perhaps," Hugo said softly. "But she's joined by two firstborns of the witch Esther's line and a Harvest witch. And Vincent - isn't exactly lacking."

"Well." Giselle rose, gathering her purse and glancing at Hugo. "Perhaps we should help Klaus Mikaelson greet death. Summon the others."

* * *

A stillness settled over the compound while the sun slowly rose over the horizon as a new day dawned. Caroline's dramatic entrance last night had given the Mikaelsons hope, despite not knowing what Bonnie's plan was. All they could do now was wait for her arrival.

Downstairs, Elijah sat with Klaus. Despite the pricey suit he wore, he sat down on the floor, legs stretched out in front of him, his back against the wall. Klaus lay on the floor, his arm thrown over his eyes, sleeping fitfully throughout the night, his fever still high.

"You're back, then," Klaus spoke hoarsely.

"Mm -" Elijah acknowledged, unable to keep the anxious worry from his face as he kept watch over his brother.

"Trouble?"

"No more than usual," Elijah said, attempting a half-hearted smile.

Klaus stirred, trying to lean upon his elbows before, giving up and slumping back onto the floor. Exhaustion and fever had drained him. He sighed heavily, hating that he was weakened, that his mind was muddled. "The wolves - you should warn them -" he mumbled.

"Keelin's out there now," Elijah reassured him.

"And that man - Devlin, Decon - Hope will be worried about him -"

"Declan," Elijah said patiently. "And he's upstairs."

Klaus concentrated and heard his daughter's voice mingled with Declan's in the library.

"Wait - you said vampires can't compel other vampires -" Confusion laced Declan's voice.

Hope's voice was like a beacon to Klaus' ears as she patiently explained. "Normal vampires. But since they're Originals -"

"We're a different kind of vampire," Rebekah called out.

"I've got a lot to learn - are you sure there's no one else to take the helm and be the leader of the human faction?" Declan's voice definitely took on a note of fear, Klaus thought mercilessly.

"Nope. Job usually goes to the one lucky enough to stumble across the supernatural in the city and live to tell about it. Congratulations, again," Marcel said cheerfully.

Klaus' trademark smirk appeared briefly before fading once more. His mind struggled to remember and make sense of his current situation. "You said - Bonnie?" He asked cautiously, unsure whether or not his conversation last night with Elijah had been a hallucination.

"Yes. Bonnie Bennet has a plan to help. Caroline says she should be arriving later today."

"Caroline?"

"She's upstairs, working," Elijah said quietly.

Klaus smiled. He was weaker than he had ever been, his mind clouded in confusion from the physical toll caused by the Hollow, mentally exhausted from worry about his daughter and siblings - and yet, the knowledge that Caroline was close lightened his heart. _I'm a fool_ , he thought.

Rebekah's voice carried from the courtyard. "Who the bloody hell are you -" Her sudden scream verberated throughout the compound.

* * *

 **I hope that you & yours are healthy & safe during this worldwide pandemic & continue to stay healthy. I've recently had some free time & was inspired to edit this chapter that had been sitting for months. I do apologize for the delay. I promise I haven't forgotten it. I do have the final chapters drafted but I need to edit them. This next chapter is going to be challenging for me but I will do my best. Please, leave a review or any questions/concerns you may have. Reviews & constructive criticism are always welcome & helpful & keep me motivated. **


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